1 in 6 cars could be write-offs
* Thousands of Cat A cars could be on the road
* More than 46 million cars checked
More than 17% of cars on the road have previously been written-off, according figures from vehicle-check site MyCarCheck.
The research looked at more than 46 million cars.
Of 46,456,106 cars checked, the research revealed 448,307 (17.37%) were previously classified as Cat A described as having suffered too extreme damage to be repaired and should not be in use.
Additionally, 2,049,415 Cat B cars classed as having significant damage and not repairable were found, while 3,889,630 Cat C cars suffering reparable damage that exceeds the vehicles value were also identified.
Roger Powell divisional head at CDL Vehicle Information Services, said: According to our data, 17.37% of the total vehicle pool are previous write-offs. If you add in outstanding theft categories, the number of vehicles with some sort of insurance marker against them leaps to around one in four.'
A recent survey from the same company revealed that 21% of respondents would consider buying a previously written-off used car to save money.
Used car precautions
For more advice on how to avoid the pitfalls of buying a used car, follow our guide to 'Buying a car: used car precautions'.
Rory White
